Golf tee-accessory assembly

ABSTRACT

A golf tee-accessory assembly for positioning a golf ball at a predetermined height, comprising a golf tee, the golf tee having upper and lower ends and a shaft of substantially uniform diameter connecting the ends, the upper end having a cup of a substantially uniform diameter for receiving a golf ball, the lower end being tapered for insertion into a playing surface; and a hollow, cylindrical sleeve member mounted on and surrounding an upper portion of the shaft of the tee, the sleeve member having a diameter and wall thickness providing, at the lower end of the sleeve, a ground-engaging surface surrounding the shaft of the tee for limiting the depth by which the lower end of the tee&#39;s shaft penetrates the ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This present invention relates to golf equipment. More particularly, this invention pertains to an improved tee for vertically positioning a golf ball prior to contact with a club head. It is recognized that the height of a golf ball from the ground with respect to the club head affects both the height and the distance of the golf shot. Once a golfer has determined, by practice, which height is desirable to have the ball from the ground, it is ideal to keep that height consistent from one hole to the next.

Unfortunately, the conventional golf tee leaves the height of the golf ball subject to many factors. These include “eyeing” the height of the ball, using one's knuckles to gauge the distance of the top of the tee to the ground, the presence of grass obscuring the ground, and the composition of the soil. This introduces an undesirable level of uncertainty to the game of golf and leaves the golfer's ability to accurately hit the ball subservient to the ability of the golfer to place the tee into the ground at a consistent height due to the increased margin of error resulting from “eyeballing” the height, and because using one's knuckles becomes extremely difficult at such an increased height.

In the past, golf tees have been produced that have various devices for regulating their height when placed in the ground. However, such golf tees are complex and prone to breaking. Additionally, they are unique devices, which upon breaking, are permanently destroyed. The present invention provides a simple assembly having a sleeve member that can be used in combination with any conventional golf tee. Conventional golf tees are inexpensive and plentiful in supply. Should the golf tee of the present invention break during a particularly strong drive, its sleeve member is capable of being reused with another conventional golf tee.

With the advent of golf clubs having enlarged heads, and hence an enlarged surface area for striking the ball, the distance between the ground and the optimal location on the head for striking the ball has increased. It is therefore desirable that the ball be consistently located at a vertical height greater than that needed for a normal sized club head. With the increase in height, it becomes more difficult to consistently place the tee at the desired height.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art by providing a device for positioning a tee, on which a golf ball is placed, for contact with either a normal size or enlarged golf club head. The device comprises an elongated, hollow, cylindrical sleeve member, which can be used with any conventional golf tee of appropriate length. The hollow, cylindrical sleeve member is sized to accommodate and either snugly fit or be fixed on the shaft of a golf tee. The sleeve member is of an appropriate length selected to enable the upper end of the member closest to the ball to fit against the lower surface of the outwardly tapered head of the tee and the lower end of the member closest to the ground to engage the ground and thereby establish a separation distance between the ground and the golf ball. This distance places the tee head at a predetermined desirable height for a particular golfer, particularly when using an enlarged golf club head. The diameter and wall thickness of the sleeve member are selected such that when the sleeve member is placed over the tee, and the tee is forced into the ground, the bottom end of the sleeve member engages the ground and with sufficient area to provide a resistance noticeable by the golfer who is placing the tee in the ground. The resistance effectively “signals” to the golfer that the appropriate height has been achieved and that the golf ball will now sit at the desirable vertical height from the ground.

The foregoing and additional features and advantages will become further apparent form the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf tee with the sleeve member of the invention in place on the shaft of the tee.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the golf tee separated from the sleeve member of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the golf tee of FIG. 1 with a sleeve member of a first length in place on the shaft of the tee according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the golf tee taken in the direction of line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the golf tee with a sleeve member of a second length in place on the shaft of the tee according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the golf tee with a sleeve member of a third length placed on the shaft of the tee according to a third embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a golf tee 10 with the hollow, cylindrical sleeve member 20 of the invention snugly fitted on, glued, or otherwise fixed on the shaft 11 of the tee 10. An upper end 21 of member 20 fits snugly against head 12 of the tee 10 and has a predetermined length L according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the tee 10 separate from the member 20. The golfer moves member 20 into position onto the shaft 11 of the tee 10 by inserting the tapered end 13 of the tee 10 into the hollow upper end 21 of the member 20 and pushing until the upper end 21 encounters the head 12 of the tee 10. Alternatively, as previously stated, the sleeve member 20 can be glued, or otherwise fixed on, the shaft of the tee 10. The diameter D and wall thickness W of member 20 are sufficient to create a ground engaging area sufficient to provide noticeable resistance when a golfer places the pointed end 13 of the tee 10 into the ground and the ground comes into contact with the lower end and lower surface area 14 of member 20.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the tee 10 of FIG. 1 mounting a sleeve member 20 of a first length according to a first embodiment such as would be needed for use with a golf club having an enlarged head and requiring the golf ball to be positioned at a greater vertical distance from the ground.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the golf tee taken in the direction of line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and illustrating the sleeve member 20 with a diameter D and a width W.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the tee 10 that has a sleeve member 20′ of a second length according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a view of the tee 10 that has a sleeve member 20″ of a shorter third length, placing the ball closer to the ground according to a third embodiment.

The illustrated golf tee 10 mounting the sleeve member 20 of the invention is intended to represent any conventional tee of appropriate length. The sleeve member 20 of the invention is formed of a resilient material, preferably a hard plastic that includes a biodegradable material, such as cornstarch, and of a composition that will not mark a driver or an iron-type club. In another embodiment, the sleeve member 20 is formed of a soft plastic. Thus, the tee shaft 11 and mounting sleeve 20 will not damage either the club or the cutting blades of golf course lawnmowers when a tee is left behind. The sleeve itself may be fabricated of a color-coded plastic. In this way, the golfer can have several different height adjusted tees for a variety of golf club heads.

While the invention has been described with regards to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. This invention is limited only insofar as it is defined by the following claims and includes within its scope all equivalents thereof. 

1. A golf tee-accessory assembly for positioning a golf ball at a predetermined height, comprising: a) a golf tee, the golf tee having upper and lower ends and a shaft of substantially uniform diameter connecting the ends, the upper end having a cup of a substantially uniform diameter for receiving a golf ball, the lower end being tapered for insertion into a playing surface; and b) a hollow, cylindrical sleeve member mounted on and surrounding an upper portion of the shaft of the tee, the sleeve member having a diameter at least as great as said shaft but not greater than said diameter of said cup and wall thickness providing, at the lower end of the sleeve, a ground-engaging surface surrounding the shaft of the tee for limiting the depth by which the lower end of the tee's shaft penetrates the ground.
 2. The golf tee-accessory assembly of claim 1, wherein said sleeve member comprises a resilient material.
 3. The golf tee-accessory assembly of claim 1, wherein said sleeve member comprises soft plastic.
 4. The golf tee-accessory assembly of claim 1, wherein said sleeve member comprises hard plastic.
 5. The golf tee-accessory assembly of claim 1, wherein said sleeve member comprises biodegradable plastic.
 6. The golf tee-accessory assembly of claim 1, wherein said sleeve member is color-coded.
 7. A golf tee-accessory assembly for positioning a golf ball at a predetermined height, comprising: a) a golf tee, the golf tee having upper and lower ends and a shaft of substantially uniform diameter connecting the ends, the upper end having a cup of a substantially uniform diameter for receiving a golf ball, the lower end being tapered for insertion into a playing surface; and b) a sleeve member, said sleeve member having: i) a generally cylindrical shape defining a generally cylindrical hole therethrough dimensioned to couple with said shaft of said tee; ii) a diameter at least as great as said diameter of said shaft but not greater than said diameter of said cup, whereby said sleeve member can act as a stop that determines the height of said cup above a playing surface; and iii) being of a predetermined length, not exceeding the distance between said cup and said tapered end of said tee. 